"See, now, that I, I am He!": If one says there are two Authorities in heaven, he is rebutted — "and there is no god with Me!" — But perhaps He cannot bring to life or put to death or bring harm or benefit; it is, therefore, written "I put to death and I bring to life; I wound and I heal, etc." And it is written (Isaiah 44:6) "Thus has said the L-rd, King of Israel, and its Redeemer, the L-rd of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and besides Me there is no G-d."
Variantly: "I put to death and I bring to life": I put to death those of whom it is written (Bamidbar 23:10) "Let my soul die the death of the just," and I bring to life, viz. (Devarim, Ibid. 33:6) "Reuven shall live and he shall not die," (Hoshea 6:2) "He will make us live from the two times, etc."
Variantly: "I put to death and I bring to life": I hear (i.e., I understand) death to one and life to another; it is, therefore, written "I wound and I heal." Just as the wounding and the healing is in one, so the death and the life is in one — a proof for the resurrection from the Torah.
"and there is no saving (from sin) from My hand": Fathers do not save sons. Abraham does not save Yishmael, and Israel does not save Esav. This tells me only that fathers do not save sons. Whence do I derive that brothers do not save brothers? From (Psalms 49:8) "A brother cannot redeem another": Isaac cannot redeem Yishmael, and Yaakov cannot redeem Esav. Even if he gives all the money in the world, he cannot ransom him, viz.: "A brother cannot redeem another … (9) Too costly is their souls' redemption and forever unattainable." How precious is this soul! When one sins, there is no payment for it!
(דברים לב לט) רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא, זוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה לָאוֹמְרִים אֵין רָשׁוּת בַּשָּׁמַיִם. הָאוֹמֵר שְׁתֵּי רָשׁוּיוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם, מְשִׁיבִים אוֹתוֹ וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ: וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר כָּתוּב וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי. אוֹ כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כֹּחַ לֹא לְהָמִית וְלֹא לְהַחֲיוֹת וְלֹא לְהָרַע וְלֹא לְהֵיטִיב? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה מד ו): ״כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגֹאֲלוֹ ה׳ צְבָאוֹת אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים״.
"See, now, that I, I am He!": If one says there are two Authorities in heaven, he is rebutted — "and there is no god with Me!" — But perhaps He cannot bring to life or put to death or bring harm or benefit; it is, therefore, written "I put to death and I bring to life; I wound and I heal, etc." And it is written (Isaiah 44:6) "Thus has said the L-rd, King of Israel, and its Redeemer, the L-rd of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and besides Me there is no G-d."
דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, זֶה אֶחָד מֵאַרְבַּע הַבְטָחוֹת שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם רֶמֶז לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים.
Variantly: "I put to death and I bring to life": I put to death those of whom it is written (Bamidbar 23:10) "Let my soul die the death of the just," and I bring to life, viz. (Devarim, Ibid. 33:6) "Reuven shall live and he shall not die," (Hoshea 6:2) "He will make us live from the two times, etc."
אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, (במדבר כג י) ״תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים״, (דברים לג) ״יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמֹת״, (הושע ו ב) ״יְחַיֵּנוּ מִיּוֹמָיִם״, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי מִיתָה בְּאֶחָד וְחַיִּים בְּאֶחָד, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מָחַצְתִּי וַאֲנִי אֶרְפָּא, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמַּכָּה וּרְפוּאָה בְּאֶחָד כָּךְ מִיתָה וְחַיִּים בְּאֶחָד.
Variantly: "I put to death and I bring to life": I hear (i.e., I understand) death to one and life to another; it is, therefore, written "I wound and I heal." Just as the wounding and the healing is in one, so the death and the life is in one — a proof for the resurrection from the Torah.
וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל, אֵין אָבוֹת מַצִּילִים אֶת הַבָּנִים, לֹא אַבְרָהָם מַצִּיל אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְלֹא יִצְחָק מַצִּיל אֶת עֵשָׂו. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא אָבוֹת שֶׁאֵין מַצִּילִים אֶת הַבָּנִים, אַחִים אֶת אַחִים מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (תהלים מט ח): ״אָח לֹא פָדֹה יִפְדֶּה אִישׁ״, לֹא יִצְחָק מַצִּיל אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְלֹא יַעֲקֹב מַצִּיל אֶת עֵשָׂו. וַאֲפִלּוּ נוֹתֵן אָדָם לוֹ כָּל מָמוֹן שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם אֵין נוֹתְנִין לוֹ כָּפְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם): ״אָח לֹא פָדֹה יִפְדֶּה אִישׁ וְיֵקַר פִּדְיוֹן נַפְשָׁם״. יְקָרָה הִיא נֶפֶשׁ זוֹ, שֶׁכְּשֶׁאָדָם חוֹטֵא בָּהּ אֵין לָהּ תַּשְׁלוּמִים.
"and there is no saving (from sin) from My hand": Fathers do not save sons. Abraham does not save Yishmael, and Israel does not save Esav. This tells me only that fathers do not save sons. Whence do I derive that brothers do not save brothers? From (Psalms 49:8) "A brother cannot redeem another": Isaac cannot redeem Yishmael, and Yaakov cannot redeem Esav. Even if he gives all the money in the world, he cannot ransom him, viz.: "A brother cannot redeem another … (9) Too costly is their souls' redemption and forever unattainable." How precious is this soul! When one sins, there is no payment for it!